Of Hair and Peace
by saturnspell
Summary: How Hermione tells Ron she has forgiven him for leaving.  A sequel of sorts to Soon. Very fluffy, sugary and short!


Of Hair and Peace

I don't own this world, just live in it…

Hermione tried in vain to get the chunks of dirt, wood, glass and cement out of her hair. Her hands were shaking. She sat alone in the dank tent, her heart still racing from the events of only a few brief hours before.

They had been lucky. They had managed to get away from the Death Eaters at Luna Lovegood's house. Just barely. Of the trio she had taking the brunt of the damage and injuries. She had been the closest to the horn when it had exploded and when she had thrown the Invisibility Cloak over Ron she had been hit by even more flying rubble. She was coated in debris, her face dirty and scratched.

Ron. He was out collecting wood, while Harry took the first watch. Ron. She had come so close to losing him again and she still hadn't told him… that she loved him and that she had forgiven him for leaving. She had wanted to so many times but the words always seemed to be out of reach.

She had been furious and heartbroken when he had left. The days apart had sent her to the edge of madness and sorrow. His return had brought out the storm in her, the rage, the anger and her fears. Ron had quietly taken her abuse, her cold shoulders and biting words. He was stronger since his return, more confident, even more courageous. He went out of his way to be helpful and caring, not just to her but to Harry as well. He took extra turns on guard duty, cooked and cleaned and did it all without grumbling or even hoping for any change in her.

She had forgiven him even before Harry had pulled her aside and revealed what Ron had seen in the locket. But she just couldn't get the words out. It was easier to be mean, to be angry or cold, or to ignore him all together. She couldn't do that anymore. She needed him to understand, to forgive her now.

Hermione was so absorbed in her thoughts that the sound of the tent's flap rustling startled her. She whirled around, wand in one hand, her comb in the other. Ron stopped in his tracks, his arms full of wood.

"Sorry I startled you." He put the wood down neatly by the fire. "Would you like help with that?" He asked meekly, his pale face flushed with colour.

She wanted to run into his arms and hold him and kiss him. She wanted to drop to her knees in front of him and ask for forgiveness. She wanted to yell at him and have him fight with her, like they had before, long before, a lifetime before. She simply nodded. Again the words were gone.

Ron took the comb and sat behind her. His huge calloused hands were surprisingly dexterous and gentle. He worked each long curly strand of her hair, softly moving her head as he combed and picked out the debris. Every so often one of his fingers would brush against her ears or the back of her neck, sending small shockwaves down her spine right to her heels. She felt all the tension and walls between them tumble down and dissolve. She let out a quiet moan when his hand grazed her chin.

"Did that hurt?" He whispered into her ear, breaking the silence, his hands frozen in her tresses.

"No, it feels great, wonderful," Her words were slurring, as sleep started to take hold of her. Her heartbeat finally returning to normal.

She smiled. She could feel him blushing behind her. She closed her eyes and leaned back into Ron's body. Instinctively Ron snaked an arm around her waist, hugging her even closer. She could feel his warm breath on the back of her neck, only inches away.

"Can you ever forgive me?" Hermione mumbled weakly.

"Forgive YOU? Why?"

"For being so mean to you." She was blushing now. Her eyes closed.

"You have every right to be angry. I …"

She broke his sentence. "That's over… done. I'm not mad about that anymore…can you forgive me? Please…. Her voice was barely audible. Ron pulled her even closer.

"Of course, I'm the one who was wrong."

"No…not wrong…Ron. No" Her words faded as sleep finally took over.

There was silence in the tent. Ron held her in his arms, listening to Hermione's slow even breaths.

Ron smiled to himself as he gently and ever so carefully carried her to her bunk. He pulled off her boots and jacket and placed her into the bed. He was tucking her in with the blanket from his own bed when Harry entered the tent. Harry's look of concern quickly shifted to one of knowing, his own face filling with a smile that mirrored his best friend's. He turned around and headed back out of the tent.

"Just give me five minutes to make some tea and I'll take the next watch." Ron spoke quietly to his mate. Harry nodded.

Once alone again with Hermione, Ron knelt down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, moving a lock of her hair around her ear. A small smile formed on her face. He smiled and headed to the kitchen, his heart roaring.

**Reviews?**

**This is a sequel of sorts to Soon…**

**The hair idea came from a wonderful story by xforeverlovex21 called I Should Brush Your Hair More Often. Read it!**


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